AUDIO:Pop Rocks Experiment. Jenny Niedenfuehr. Gabrielle Mosher. Zoe Burton The purpose of this lab was to determine the amount of CO2 released from Pop Rocks, based on the amount of citric acid added during formation. The amount of CO2 released from the commercially prepared Pop Rocks was used as a base comparison between the commercially produced and the homemade Pop Rocks. The amount of CO2 produced from the Pop Rocks was collected by measuring the mass change when the Pop Rocks were added to water. The homemade Pop Rocks were created using sugar, baking soda, and citric acid (we used Sour Salt, which is made of citric acid, and used in place of citric acid crystals). Commercially produced Pop Rocks are made in a slightly different way, using a pressure cooker, however our method of production was very similar. The lab had many constants, which allowed more accurate results with the changing amounts of citric acid. The reaction of the baking soda and citric acid was an acid-base reaction, which produced the CO2. After the whole process of the Pop Rock formation then crystallization, the amount of CO2 was measured. The data collected was parallel with the purpose/hypothesis that the more citric acid added during formation, the more CO2 produced. Key Words: Pop Rocks, carbon dioxide, citric acid, acid-base reaction.
The purpose of this lab was to determine the amount of CO2 released from Pop Rocks, based on the amount of citric acid added during formation. The amount of CO2 released from the commercially prepared Pop Rocks was used as a base comparison between the commercially produced and the homemade Pop Rocks. The amount of CO2 produced from the Pop Rocks was collected by measuring the mass change when the Pop Rocks were added to water. The homemade Pop Rocks were created using sugar, baking soda, and citric acid (we used Sour Salt, which is made of citric acid, and used in place of citric acid crystals). Commercially produced Pop Rocks are made in a slightly different way, using a pressure cooker, however our method of production was very similar. The lab had many constants, which allowed more accurate results with the changing amounts of citric acid. The reaction of the baking soda and citric acid was an acid-base reaction, which produced the CO2. After the whole process of the Pop Rock formation then crystallization, the amount of CO2 was measured. The data collected was parallel with the purpose/hypothesis that the more citric acid added during formation, the more CO2 produced.
Key Words: Pop Rocks, carbon dioxide, citric acid, acid-base reaction.
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Journal Citations:
How Do Pop Rocks Candy Work?. (n.d.). Howstuffworks. Retrieved March 6, 2011, from http://science.howstuffworks.com/innovation/everyday-innovations/question114.htm/printable.
Katz, D. A. (n.d.). Determination of the Volume of CO2 in Pop Rocks®. Retrieved March 6, 2011, from http://www.chymist.com/CO2%20in%20Pop%20Rocks.pdf.
Pop Rocks Candy History. (n.d.). Pop Rocks Candy. Retrieved March 6, 2011, from http://www.poprockscandy.com/history.html.
Pop Rocks Science. (n.d.). Science Projects Experiments, Educational Toys & Science Toys. Retrieved March 6, 2011, from http://www.stevespanglerscience.com/experiment/poprocks.
United States Patent : Process of Preparing Gasified Candy (US04289794__.tif Page 1). (n.d.). Delphion Research intellectual property network - international and US patent search database. Retrieved March 6, 2011, from http://www.delphion.com/cgi-bin/viewpat.cmd/US04289794__?OUT_FORMAT=pdf&MODE=fstv